Introduction : Active ageing may be considered as one of the leading notion for policy makers to rethink ageing population since 1990’s. Usually, literature insists on the importance of World Health Organization framework of 2002 and Walker is often referred in literature as one of the leader for theoretical explanations. They both present a holistic version of active ageing. Method : We analyze 24 texts from international organizations (World Bank, OECD, European Commission, United Nations and World Health Organization) and track “active ageing” in 17 Anglophone databases and 7 Francophone databases. Results : First we will show how, historically, “active ageing” started emerging in scientific literature. Second, by focusing onto the action of World Health Organization and of European Commission, we will show how international organizations play an important role in transforming the theoretical ideas (the concept or the notion of “active ageing”) into a political framework for public policies (a “referentiel d’action publique” in French sociological literature). This will permit us to discuss some of Chris Phillipson’s perspectives on globalization and ageing. Third, we will come back the scientific literature to show how “active ageing” receives plural definitions and, in particular, how different it has been ? at least until 2011 ? for Anglophone and Francophone literatures. Conclusion : In conclusion, we propose to assess the future development of “active ageing” through the emergence of a new critic, more present in Anglophone literature, but also present in Francophone one.